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WELFARE HITS ROCK BOTTOM

The city welfare rolls have dipped to a new 40-year low – falling even further than the historic numbers set months ago, new figures reveal.

The welfare rolls hit 349,936 for September, according to data from the Human Resources Administration. That’s the lowest level since March 1964, according to city records. Before September, that 40-year low was 360,700 cases at the close of fiscal year 2007.

The numbers crept up slightly for October, officials said, with 355,510 cases on the welfare rolls. That’s in keeping with the last seven Octobers, the HRA officials said, when the numbers have had a minor spike before continuing to trend back down.

“The programs that we’ve put in place that require work and provide generous supports for low-income working people continue to be effective in reducing the number of people on cash assistance in New York City,” said HRA Commissioner Robert Doar.